I have been working on some fiendishly entangled Hopkins families that called the parish of Clonegal home in the early 19th century, and as part of this research was following up some later records in the Calendars of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1922. If you want to know more about these records, then check out my page on Will Probate Districts & Records, 1858+.
Now, we've all seen images of original documents that are festooned with various mysterious marks as enumerators marked up household returns perhaps or Griffith's field agents doodled in their field books. Often, we get annoyed as something important may have been obscured or made indistinct. Not so fast, I say, sometimes those extraneous scribblings might just help you. Let me illustrate with the examples I found recently in those Will Calendars.
Sarah Jane Hopkins had been living with her widowed elder sister, Susan, when she died in 1914. Susan had lost her husband, William Stevenson, 6 years previously. Both William and Sarah had left wills that were proved in the Principal Registry in Dublin. Here are the calendar entries for both of them.
Now, we've all seen images of original documents that are festooned with various mysterious marks as enumerators marked up household returns perhaps or Griffith's field agents doodled in their field books. Often, we get annoyed as something important may have been obscured or made indistinct. Not so fast, I say, sometimes those extraneous scribblings might just help you. Let me illustrate with the examples I found recently in those Will Calendars.
Sarah Jane Hopkins had been living with her widowed elder sister, Susan, when she died in 1914. Susan had lost her husband, William Stevenson, 6 years previously. Both William and Sarah had left wills that were proved in the Principal Registry in Dublin. Here are the calendar entries for both of them.
Can you make out those pencilled numbers preceded by a "T" under their names (Click on the images to enlarge)?
If you've already perused my page of guidance on post 1858 wills referenced in green above, you will know that this code refers to a catalogue entry in the Testamentary series at the National Archives of Ireland. This means that there should be a copy of the will lodged with them. Sure enough, when I consulted the Index to Testamentary Records in the Public Record Office, Dublin, 15th-20th Century online, I found the following cards for each of these wills (click to enlarge.)
If you've already perused my page of guidance on post 1858 wills referenced in green above, you will know that this code refers to a catalogue entry in the Testamentary series at the National Archives of Ireland. This means that there should be a copy of the will lodged with them. Sure enough, when I consulted the Index to Testamentary Records in the Public Record Office, Dublin, 15th-20th Century online, I found the following cards for each of these wills (click to enlarge.)
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I then followed my own (excellent!) advice and consulted Testamentary Documents in the Public Record office, Dublin to see if there was an online image for either of them. Sadly, those T reference numbers were not on the list for the various microfilms available online for this resource. But if I desperately wanted to see those wills, I ought to be able to contact the National Archives of Ireland and request a copy.
Perhaps I just got lucky with these 2 calendar entries, but you never know what might turn up in your own research. So, if you think you can detect a pencilled entry in the Will Calendars that look like these codes, then be sure to follow it up.
Let me know if you get lucky!
Perhaps I just got lucky with these 2 calendar entries, but you never know what might turn up in your own research. So, if you think you can detect a pencilled entry in the Will Calendars that look like these codes, then be sure to follow it up.
Let me know if you get lucky!
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